The Fire
by biting bullets
Summary: Ash looses his mother in a fire, Giovanni snakes his way into the position of president of the league. Ash is exiled. Now five years later, Ash returns to compete in the tournament of Arceus as Giovanni sits in jail, waiting for a chance to strike. Ashx? M for language, possibly more eventually.
1. ACT I: Origin

ORIGIN

Trying my hand at a darker pokemon ff.

Ash is currently 22

Cynthia is 25

May is 21

Brock is 26

Misty is 22

Max is 17

Dawn is 20

Lydia (Future OC) will be 22

I don't own Pokemon

* * *

It was dark. No, not even. It was black. He couldn't see anything. The moon itself refused to come out, scared away by the awful almost tangible blackness.

He was frightened, only bad things could happen on a night such as this.

As he looked around he found what appeared to be a dim light flashing on a nearby hill. He moved towards it, like a moth to the flame. The closer he got the brighter the light became; beckoning him like a beautiful siren would a fishermen.

As he grew closer he realized it wasn't a light at all, it was a fire.

He started to hear screaming, a female voice. He frowned, sprinting up towards the hill.

As he neared he realized it was a house. His house. His house was on fire! He moved faster, willing his legs and lungs to not give up on him.

Halfway up the hill he tripped and fell, slicing open his leg on the very root that had the audacity to trip him. He shook it off, ignoring the crimson liquid making its way down his leg. The closer he got to the house the more frantic he became.

You see, this wasn't just any house. It was his house. And that meant it wasn't just any woman screaming, it was his mother's voice.

As he made it to the door his legs almost completely gave out, but he didn't care. As he forced the door open and ran in, he was in awe, complete and utter shock. In the middle of the fire was his mother, her eyes closed and head down as if praying.

No longer could he hear the screams.

The heat from the fire was unreal, sweat gushing from his every pore.

He was confused as it appeared she was completely unscathed.

Then, without warning, she walked out towards him, as if the flame she stood in held no domain over her, as if she was ethereal.

He couldn't move, frozen in place.

She was merely a foot away when she finally stopped, her eyes still closed.

Suddenly, her eyes opened and she let out the most horrific and violent scream he had ever heard, grabbing him by the throat.  
He tried to scream out but found he had no voice. "YOU DID THIS TO ME." She yells, her grip growing tighter. "IT'S YOUR FAULT."

He tries to apologize, tries to beg for forgiveness, to explain that he tried his hardest to get there in time.

His vocal chords won't respond though, refusing to comply with his will.  
Everything begins growing dim, his sight starting to give out.

He closes his eyes, reaching out to his mother, but finds that there is no one there.

When he opens his eyes again his horror grows tenfold. The fire has grown, his mother in the middle, screaming out as the angry tendrils of flame lash against her.

He tries to jump into the fire to save her, but finds he cannot, an invisible wall keeping him away.

Tears fall down his cheeks as he stands there helplessly, watching as his mother is swallowed by the flame.

Ash awakes in a heated sweat, breathing heavily as if he had just ran a marathon. He rubs his eyes, frowning.  
'Another nightmare.' He thinks, sitting up. 'What I'd give for a peaceful night's sleep.'  
Ash removes the heavy wool blankets, now drenched by his sweat. As he stands, he yawns, stretching.

This wasn't the first time he had a nightmare, that was for sure.

He had been having them for years, ever since the day his house had burnt down.

He was returning from Dr. Oak's house, when he saw the smoke and heard the screams.

By the time he got there the fire had already spread throughout the entire house. Without any regard for his own well being he burst in; jumping through the flames as he made his way to the room the screams could be heard from.

The door was locked, as if someone had meant to do this, to kill his mother.

At the time of course he didn't think of it, too focused on getting his mother out.

He slammed his shoulder into the door again and again, eventually knocking it down, the fire weakening the wooden foundation it sat upon.

By this time the screaming had stopped. As he entered the room he found his mother in a corner, surrounded by the angry fire.

He jumped through; scooping her up and making his way back out.

While traversing through what used to be his living room, a support beam from the ceiling fell, which he promptly tripped over, sending him and his mother sprawling.

He landed in a pile of smoldering ash; searing his flesh and slicing his leg open on the beam that had tripped him.

He screamed out in pain, but quickly shook it off, getting back up.

He grew light headed as he picked his mother up, almost falling again.

When he finally made it out of the hell that had become his house, he passed out.

His last vision that day was that of the bright lights of the fire truck and ambulance, as well as his mother's frail unmoving frame. The image burned into his mind.

The League wasted no time in his exile.

In hindsight, it was agonizingly obvious that someone was trying to get rid of him.

Not days after his exit from the hospital he was pulled aside by a league official, going on about how he had lost it, how it was his fault his mother was dead and that he was a threat to himself and those around him.

Word had spread that it was his very own Charizard that started the fire, by his command. It made no sense really, but people have a tendency of believing anything they hear, even if there isn't any evidence to back it up.

The new president of the league, none other than Giovanni himself, ordered him into exile, claiming he was insane.

Before Ash knew it, he was on a helicopter headed into the harsh frozen mountain range that surrounded Mt. Silver with only a rucksack of supplies and his pokeballs.

As he stood there watching the helicopter ascend into the clouds he vowed to get revenge.

Two years pass and Ash receives a letter from a courier Dragonite, stating that the league apologizes for its false allegations and that president Giovanni was found to be responsible for his mother's death, his key role in Team Rocket brought to light and all the other shady dealings he had been involved with during and before his presidency.

The letter said that he had been imprisoned for his actions, and that Ash's exile was null.

He took the note and crumpled it up, throwing it aside.

What did he have to go back to now? He had been gone for two years, everyone had surely moved on by now. Hell, he didn't even have a home to go back to.

He would spend the next two and a half years continuing his intense training regimen, mastering the art of Aura and training his Pokémon to their fullest potential.

The courier Dragonite eventually appeared again, bearing another letter.

This one however, piqued his interest. Tournament of Arcues, open to any who desire to enter, the winner earning the title of Pokémon Master, and a healthy chunk of change.

It was at this moment that he finally realized what he wanted to do. If he won the tournament, he would have the money to rebuild his home, and to open a gym in Pallet.

Over the years his attitude had changed dramatically.

Ash's content for society had faded, replaced by a burning desire to kill Giovanni. Although, he wouldn't allow himself to stoop to his level, killing someone who couldn't fight back.

He knew that if he resurfaced again Giovanni wouldn't be able to resist the urge to finish what he had started; he would find a way to get out and try to kill him. Until then, he decided to just live his life.

His friends… how he missed them. May.. Max.. Brock.. Misty.. Dawn.. Cynthia… he truly missed them all.

He especially missed May, who was his best friend before he left, and Cynthia, who he had become smitten with.

He truly wanted to go back, though, every time he thought about returning to see them, he couldn't shake the thought that they hated him or simply forgot about him. Childish as it may seem, he couldn't help it.

He saw this tournament as a way to reintegrate himself back into society, to eventually see his friends and ask them to forgive him for being gone so long.

He still clung to the now half burnt handkerchief Cynthia had given him before he left to go home, before the incident. It was kind of a strange keepsake, representing not only the good times, but also stood as a constant reminder of why he was where he was. It drove him, kept him going. Regardless if it was to make him happy or provide him the motivation to train himself up, to ready himself for the day he confronts Team Rocket and Giovanni.

She had been helping him train up his Gabite for a few weeks, seeing as how she had a fully grown Garchomp it made sense.

It was during this time he realized he was growing attached to her, forming a crush.

He thought of course, he had no chance. He was just a trainer.

Sure, he had saved the world many times over but he hadn't even defeated any regions elite four, he was nowhere near her level.

Not to mention the fact that she was gorgeous, and older, if only by a few years.

That didn't stop him from trying though.

The duo were joking around; She gave him a handkerchief to hold onto until he came back, a symbol of good luck, a physical promise to return, as if he was a knight about to go off to war.

Looking back, of course it was completely obvious she felt something for him too but in the moment things just don't appear how they really are.

As the two hugged he couldn't help it.

He claimed her lips in a short and chaste kiss, waiting for the smack that was sure to follow.

To his surprise though, she had kissed him back, afterwords making him promise to return soon.

He agreed; of course, little did they know what awaited him when he returned to Pallet.

That was the last time he saw or spoke to her.

It was still dark out; Ash could tell it was around 0600 by the way the sky looked.

He quickly cleaned up, brushing his teeth and dumping buckets of water over himself, lathering up with a sort of home-made soap and rinsing off. It was his morning routine, which he had stuck to for the past five years.

He walked outside to the now barely-there fire, throwing some fresh logs in. In just a few minutes the fire had grown back to a healthy size, so he gathered some snow and threw it in a large pan, along with some local berries and other plant life.

It wasn't the greatest tasting thing in the world, that much was for sure, but it did the trick. The berries were high in protein and other nutrients, whereas the random plants and roots provided weight to the meal, giving them the energy to train.

He silently chuckled to himself.

This would be the last time he would eat this sort of meal, to which he was pretty thankful.

Today was the day; they would leave out for Kanto at 0700.

He figured Garchomp could have them there by roughly 1000 hours if everything went okay.

Ash sat by the large pot, gazing up at the clear starry sky. He couldn't help but worry about being around people again, considering how long it'd been since he had any real human contact.

One by one his Pokémon wake up, accustomed to the morning ritual, their bodies adjusted to rising early. He greets them all accordingly, giving each a healthy portion of the soup.

'Today's the day. After you're done eating, start cleaning up the camp. Throw everything that we don't need in the cave, the rest goes in my ruck. It's high time we show the league what some real Pokémon can do. The other trainers, they don't know what they are about to face. I'm proud to call you my Pokémon; no, my friends, and together we are going to tear through this tournament like a hurricane, devastating all in our path. I know you will all do me proud.' He projects to the group. They all yell out loudly in response.

Ash grins, proud of what they have accomplished, what they've become.

A few hours later and the camp is completely packed away. His Pokémon recalled to their respective pokeballs, the only two left out being his Garchomp and Pikachu.

He hops up on the large dragon's back, Pikachu following suit.

'Make a beeline to the ocean; from there we head to Kanto.' He tells Garchomp, 'Yes, master,' replies the large Pokémon, cracking its neck, readying itself for the flight.  
And with that he flaps his large wings, instantly finding lift and taking to the sky.

'Kanto, here I come,' thinks Ash, anxiously awaiting the tournament.

* * *

Just a simple background chap.

30may-updated, fixed up a bit.


	2. ACT II: First Match and Heated Reunions

Indigo: First match and heated reunions

I don't own Pokemon

* * *

The team arrives to Kanto in record time, due to Garchomp's incredible speed. Ash takes a deep breath, grinning.

'Kanto.' He thinks, 'It's been far too long.'

'Alright, when we get close to Indigo we'll drop off in the woods before heading into the city. I don't want to cause a scene just yet.' He tells his Pokémon.

'Yes master. As you wish.'

Ash pats Garchomp on his side, 'You've definitely gotten faster buddy. We made it here in less than three hours. That's got to be some kind of record.'  
Garchomp grunts in acknowledgement, proud to have pleased Ash.

About fifteen minutes later the group drops down through a clearing in the forest outside of Indigo, and Ash recalls Garchomp, thanking him.

He gazes down at Pikachu as they begin making their way through the forest.

'This is it Pikachu. Years of training and we'll finally have a chance to prove ourselves.'

"Chuu.." He says, 'Nervous?' he asks Ash, grinning.

Ash just laughs, 'Of course not! I already know I have the best team in the world. This is going to be a cakewalk.' He replies, ducking under a low hanging branch. 'I'll be using you in the first match. As my smallest Pokémon you pack one of the greatest punches, the trainer will without a doubt underestimate you and it'll probably cause quite the commotion; a good way to let everyone else know what they're going up against.'

Pikachu nods and they pick up the pace.

After about ten minutes the duo exits the dense forest and arrives at the outskirt of the large town. Ash grins, spotting the Pokecenter.

'The tournament isn't for another week. We'll register then get a hotel, maybe get in some last minute training.' He says, making his way to the Pokecenter.

As he enters the Pokecenter, he is surprised. He expected it to be packed full of people trying to register for the tournament.

The receptionist behind the enrollment counter quickly stood,  
"Are you here to register?" She asks, almost frantically. Ash was of course, thoroughly confused.

"Well.. yeah," He replies, "Why so rushed?" He asks, frowning.

She points to a clock on the wall behind him and he almost freaks out. He only had five minutes before registering was over!

He jogs up to the desk, handing her his Pokedex. She quickly plugs it in, pulling his registration information.

She sighs as she hands it back, "Wow.. that was a close one." She says grinning.

"I thought the tournament wasn't for another week? Why are they closing out registration so early?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

She laughs, "Have you been living under a rock or something? The tournament got pushed up. You've already missed the opening ceremony, matches start today. You're lucky you got here when you did!"

Ash chuckles to himself, the complete and utter irony of her statement getting to him.

"Yeah.. something like that," He replies, "So do I have any matches today or do I have to wait till tomorrow?"

She looks down at her computer screen, "One minute… Ahh, you have two matches today," she says, writing something down.

"Your first match is in an hour. If you make it through that one, your next will be at two." She hands him a map and a piece of paper with his battle info.

A bell goes off signaling the end of registration and she shuts off her computer, standing back up.

"Well, looks like I'm done here! I could escort you to your first match if you'd like? The stadium is quite the maze; I still get lost from time to time." She replies, smiling.

Ash shrugs, "Sure, sounds good to me." He says, putting the paperwork in his back pocket.

How could he say no? It's not every day a pretty female asks to escort you around; and considering he hadn't had any real human contact in the past five years the answer was pretty obvious.

She grins. "Okay! Let me grab my bag real quick." She says, policing up her things.

She walks out from behind the desk and Ash's eyes widen. 'Wow…' He thinks, looking her up and down as subtly as he could.

She had dark hair held back in a loose ponytail, and was wearing a white and light blue floral summer dress, which complimented her tan skin perfectly.  
He quickly recovers, playing it off.

"So," He starts, "After you, Madame." He says, bowing.

Pikachu sighs. 'Alright Brock.' Ash quickly shoots Pikachu an angry look before gazing back to the girl.

She laughs, "So, chivalry isn't dead after all is it?" She asks, still giggling.

He grins and moves to the door, holding it open for her. "Ehh, guess I'm the last of a dying breed."

She thanks him, stepping through. "Well, it's nice to know there's at least one of you out there." She replies, smiling.

"So, your name's Red huh?" She asks, gazing at him with a raised eyebrow. "Sounds like a spy name or something." She asks, as they begin walking.

He just shrugs, "We all have our secrets. Though, I'd hardly call myself a spy.." He replies, grinning.

She looks him up and down, "I don't know.. ," She starts, "The long hair.. beard… black tee.. faded blue jeans; seems a little fishy to me."

He just laughs, "Well, I had planned on cleaning up before the tournament, but it looks like that won't be happening."

She grins, "Eh it's okay." she says, "I mean, If I had a spy name I'd try to look as incognito as possible too. Wouldn't want anyone to catch on to your true identity, you know?"

Ash breaks out laughing, "You know, you're pretty funny.. uhh.." He says, not remembering if he caught her name yet or not.

"Lydia." She says, "My names Lydia."

He nods, "That's a very pretty name. Not spy-ish at all though, you'll have to work on that." He replies, finally nearing the large stadium.

She grins, shaking her head playfully. "I will, and it'll deffinately be better than yours."

Ash laughs, "We'll see about that!" He replies, before stopping at the entrance to the large building.

"Wow.." Ash says, gazing up at the behemoth coliseum.

She nods, "It's the largest on the planet." She says, "Smaller tournaments will be held here at different times throughout the year, accumulating in a sort of grand tournament at the end. They wanted to open it with a bang though, so voila. 'Tournament de Arceus.' The most enormous tournament in over forty years."

Ash nods, "Well, I better not waste time ogling the building; I've got a match to win."

She laughs and the trio makes its way inside.

Ash quickly realizes why the city was like a ghost-town; everyone was in here!  
Hundreds upon hundreds of people littered the large hallways. Ash had never seen anything like it.

"Jeez," He starts, "There's so many people."

Lydia nods, wrapping her arm around his and pulling him through the doorway and into the massive stream of people.

"We set the record for most people participating in a tournament." She practically yells, her voice nearly drowned out by the melding voices of hundreds of conversations.

"Your first match isn't far, but we need to hurry so you're not late." She says, letting go of his arm and grabbing his hand, taking off in a light jog.

Ash grins, running beside her. 'This is turning out to be more fun than I thought.'

After a few minutes of dodging and weaving in and out of people, the trio arrives at a door with '15-G' on it.

"Alright, here you are." She says, motioning to the door. "You'll be in the green corner. I think this match is slated to be a three on three with no substitutions."

Ash nods, absorbing the information.

"If you're actually as strong as you seem to think you are, you should do fine. It's just a preliminary match after all. Your next match shouldn't be too hard to find, just look at your map. You'll get your bearings soon enough."

Ash fake pouts, "You mean you won't be there to show me around? What am I going to do without my pretty escort?"

She blushes deeply, "I wish I could, but I have some more paperwork to do. I am at work, after all." She replies, grinning at him.

He sighs, "Alright I guess.. but if I get lost I blame you."

She reaches into her purse, pulling out a pen and piece of paper.

"Fine. How about this. If you ever need help with anything or want to hang out after hours just give me a call. I'm available any time after 5."

She says, handing him the paper with her name and number.

Ash reaches out and takes it, grinning. "I guess that sounds okay." He says, pocketing the paper.

She seems to think for a moment, "Well.. I've got to go now, good luck Red. I'll make sure to keep an eye out for you." She says, placing a hand on one of his shoulders, reaching up and kissing his cheek.

He stutters, "Se-see you around, Lydia. It was nice meeting you."

She smiles and waves, walking off.

Ash gazes down at Pikachu, who shakes his head at him.

'What? What'd I do?' Pikachu sighs, ignoring him and nudging the door open, walking through.

Ash can't help but laugh, following his long time buddy through.

-15 minutes later-

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Tournament of Arceus!" The announcer yells, causing everyone to scream and stomp in return.

"This match will be a three on three! No substitutions. In the blue corner we have a Kanto native, Jared Cliff!" Ash notices a large number of the crowd increase the volume of their cheering. He figures them to be Kanto natives as well.

"And in the green corner, we have Red Tribal! A trainer from.. well… it doesn't say!" The announcer seems confused for a minute. "Well, anyways, let's get this match started! Trainers, begin!" He yells, initiating the match.

"Machamp, go!" The trainer yells, the massive fighting type forming on the open grassy plain of the battle arena.

Ash gazes down at Pikachu, 'How about a little display of power eh? Call upon the clouds, agility behind him and onto his back, he won't be able to reach you, then call down hell.' Ash says, gazing back up at the massive fighting type.

Pikachu nods, walking out onto the field. Laughs can be heard, especially from his opponent.  
"Really? A Pikachu? This is going to be quick." He says, mockingly.

His smug look quickly turns to one of horror.

Sparks begin dancing around Pikachu, burning and scarring the ground the small electric-mouse type stands upon.

Without warning an incredibly large beam of lightning shoots up into the clouds, causing the sky to instantly darken.

The trainer is about to issue a command when Pikachu disappears, reappearing on the large Pokémon's back.

Everyone is temporarily blinded by an incredible flash of light, followed by a crack of thunder that shakes the entire arena.

When the smoke cleares, the Machamp is seen lying unconscious in a large crater.

It took a few seconds for the announcer to regain his bearing, still not entirely sure what had happened.  
"Uh… Machamp is unable to battle! Send out your next Pokémon."

The trainer was still in utter shock.

Ash could feel the frantic emotions pouring off of him in waves. He knew in all likelihood he had just taken out the trainers power-house Pokémon in a single move. This match was over before it started.

The trainer regains himself, recalling his Pokémon.

'Volt-tackle when the Pokémon enters the field. I don't even want it to have the opportunity to move.' Ash projects to Pikachu, who nods in return.

"Alright, let's do it Arcanine!" He says, the red beam releasing the fire type canine onto the field.

Pikachu instantly charges and takes off, his speed amplified by the electricity dancing off his body.

The Arcanine didn't even have a chance to try to dodge before it was sent sprawling at its trainers feet, knocked completely off the field of battle by Pikachu's powerful attack.

Pikachu just turns around, slowing walking back to Ash's side of the field.

Gasps and low murmurs can be heard from the crowd, the utter disbelief in the air was almost palpable. It's not everyday someone gets to see a small Pokémon such as Pikachu take out two fully evolved and formidable looking opponents.

The trainer recalls his Pokémon. No longer did he have a look of confidence; the smug attitude completely faded.

"Uhh.. Arcanine is unable to battle! Send out your last Pokémon!" The Announcer yells, as the trainer recalls his Growlithe.

The clouds are still dark, a thunderhead forming over the arena.

"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve, Onix! Go!" The trainer yells, releasing the large snake-like rock Pokémon. Ash grins.

'The storm has hit its peak, light him up like a beacon.'

"Onix! Use earthquake!" Jared yells out to his Pokémon, who promptly slams into the ground, causing a crack in the ground that swiftly travels to Pikachu's position.

Pikachu jumps up right before the earthquake reaches him, and sends a relatively smaller beam of electricity at the rock-type.

The Onix shakes off the move, unaffected.

The trainer laughs, "Looks like your little Pikachu has met his match!" He yells confidently.

"Onix! Use rock thro-" The trainer never gets the chance to finish, beam after beam of lighting slamming into the rock type.

It was as if the Pokémon had become a lightning rod, attracting each strike of the angry electricity.

In what seemed like a lifetime, but was really only about ten seconds, the clouds stopped their angry assault and dissipated, sunlight once again shining through.

Where the Onix once stood proud was a crater, the Pokémon fainted, smoke still rising off its body.

The entire Arena is deathly quiet until everyone slowly rises from their seats in uproarious applause.

The trainer recalls his last Pokémon, shaking his head and making his way off the arena.

"Well ladies and gents! That was without a doubt one of the most one sided, yet exciting matches I've ever seen! Red moves on in the preliminaries! I'm sure we can expect to see more great things from him!" The Announcer shouts out, signifying the end of the match.

Pikachu walks off the field and the two make their way into the locker room.

'Good job bud, I'm proud of you.' Ash says, grinning down at Pikachu.

Pikachu shrugs nonchalantly, 'They weren't really that strong.. He must not be that good of a trainer.'

'Yeah, you're probably right. Either way you did good though, your training has definitely paid off. Now we just have to keep this up for the rest of the tournament and we'll be alright.'

Ash collects his things, 'There's bound to be a food court in here, let's go grab some chow.' He says, heading out of the door into the large hallway.

After a couple of minutes of walking, Ash passes by a group of people arguing and hears a familiar voice that instantly catches his attention.

"..Us actually have responsibilities May!" Misty yells.

'Sounds like they are fighting.' Pikachu says, gazing over to what Ash was watching unfold.  
Ash just silently nods, 'Yeah..'

"Oh please Misty! You might be able to lie to yourself like that but you aren't fooling me! Gyms close all the time, and it's not like even if you couldn't close it you didn't have your sisters there to take over for you while you were gone! I mean, just look at Cynthia. She's the champion of Sinnoh and that didn't stop her from dropping everything to go look for him! I'm pretty sure if she could do it, so could you!" She says angrily.

Ash's eyes widen at the mention of Cynthia. 'Wow.. I had no idea.' Ash says, shaking his head.

Pikachu nods in agreement.

"You could have left but didn't. You were just 'too busy' being with Gary! You two were so caught up with yourselves and playing house that you couldn't just drop everything for even a little while to go look for him; just too much of a burden to put things on hold for a while to look for one of your best friends."

May takes a deep breath,

"Just face it Misty. You gave up on him because you're a self-centered, selfish, little kid!" May yells, throwing her arms up in exasperation.

Misty's frown grows, "How dare you say that about me! You.. You little Bitch!" She yells, bringing her arm back to smack May.

Time seems to slow for Ash. He uses his aura to augment his speed, putting himself in-between May and Misty as her arm begins its descent.

He catches Misty's wrist, stopping her mid-swing.

Everyone jumps in shock, as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Ow you jerk! Keep your hands to yourself!" She yells, pulling her arm back.

Ash raises an eyebrow at her as she massages her wrist, "Coming from the girl who was about to slap one of her friends? Right. I'll get right on that, oh hypocritical one." He says, bowing mockingly.

This only serves to anger her more; she reaches out in an attempt to push him, quickly realizing it wasn't a good idea. She caught an invisible, unmoving wall, the strength she put into the push causing her to fall back on her butt.

Ash chuckles, "Some things never change, I swear." He whispers to himself, just loud enough for May to catch.

'Hmm...' She thinks, 'I wonder... ?'

"You guys need to do something with her; that tempers going to get her in trouble someday." He says, shaking his head at them.

"Come on May, Misty needs some time to cool down." Ash says, turning around and making his way down the hallway. She hesitates for a minute, looking down at Misty. She promptly turns around and jogs up to Ash, catching up with him.

"So," he starts as they make their way down the hall, "How did all that start?"

She sighs, "Well you see.. It actually kind of involves you. We had just….."

-Flash back; 15 minutes ago-

Misty, Dawn, May, Max, Gary and Brock all stood in front of a large television screen, showcasing the current most promising trainers, giving up to date stats, etc.

"…And next we have a match that lasted a mere six minutes. This match has a lot of people wondering; just who is this Red Tribal? With no entries to previous tournaments, and not even a single badge under his belt, one can't help but wonder where this trainer learned to battle with such ferocity and skill."

A shot of a cool and collected Ash appears on the television, watching as his Pikachu lays waste to the trainers Onix in a string of angry lightning bolts.

"Everyone watched in awe as the small electric-mouse type Pokémon seemingly converts the Onix into a lightning rod, attracting bolt after brutal bolt of lightning from the ferocious storm Pikachu himself created."

Max looks on in awe. "Wow…" He says, "I hope I don't end up going up against him!"

Gary nods, "He would definitely be a formidable opponent. I haven't even read about a Pikachu being able to do that in my studies, let alone seen one. Makes you wonder what the rest of his team is capable of." Gary finishes, shaking his head. "I'd love the chance to study it."

As the camera zooms in on Ash's face one last time before moving on to other trainers, May's eyes widen. 'Ash…?'

The group breaks from the television, making their way down one of the large seemingly endless hallways.

"Did you guys notice how he didn't call any commands? Could he be a telepath, like Sabrina?" Dawn asks, looking over at her friends.

Brock nods, "More than likely. Apparently it's not as uncommon as we think."

Misty makes a 'pfft' sound. "Telepath or not, I'm not scared! That other trainer was obviously an amateur, I mean; he didn't even get one hit in!"

Max shakes his head, "Because he didn't get a chance to! You saw how fast his Pikachu attacked; he didn't even have time to react!"

Gary nods, "Indeed.." He appears lost in thought for a minute, "Say… did that Pikachu look familiar to you guys?"

May quickly shakes her head, "I thought so too.. And the trainer, Red? Did you see his eyes? They looked just like Ash's."

She replies, frowning. She was almost positive it was him.

"And look at his info; no trainer demolishes an entire team without being hit like that and hasn't had any experience in the league. It HAS to be a fake name, Ash or no Ash, this trainer is obviously hiding something."

Misty sighs, "May, how many times have you thought you've seen Ash? Every time you see someone who even faintly resembles him you immediately start thinking it's him. He's been gone five years May, he's probably not coming back; Let it go." She says, annoyance evident in her voice.

May frowns, "How can you even say that? He was your friend too. I mean hell Misty, you knew him the longest out of all of us, if anything it should have been you who was the most concerned about him. But no, you were too 'busy' to go look for him. Actually, you and Gary are the only two who didn't even try to look for him."

May could tell she was striking a nerve, but she was glad. Someone needed to put Misty in her place.

"I had my gym to look over! Some of us actually have responsibilities, May!"

-End Flashback-

"That's when I heard you guys." Ash says, cutting May's story off.

May sighs, "Don't get me wrong about Misty.. she can be the best friend at times, but.. then she has moments like that." She says, defending the girl that nearly slapped her.

Ash nods, "Yeah.. I'm sure she has her redeeming traits." He replies, as they continue making their way down the corridor.

A few minutes of silence pass before May speaks up again, "So.. If you don't mind me asking… where are we headed?"

Ash grins. "I don't know about you, but I'm staaaarving. All that commotion has really got me hungry." He says, rubbing his belly.

May laughs, "Yeah, now that you mention it, I am pretty hungry."

After a few more minutes of walking, May can't contain herself any longer.

"So Red.. you don't think it's weird that I thought you were someone else?" She asks, gazing at him.

He just looks at her and shrugs, "You mean, don't I think it's weird that you KNOW i'm someone else?"

She frowns, "May.. we were bestfriends for years. I didn't mean to reveal myself so soon, but, I just can't find it in me to hide anything from you, especially after that little rant you went on a few minutes ago."

He says, shaking his head.

The trio stops walking and May gazes up at him hopefully.

"You.. you're finally back?" She asks, dissbeleif evident in her voice.

He nods, grinning. "Yup. Ash Ketchum, back in the flesh."

* * *

Hoah

5/30

Made some slight changes

The only reason Ash tells May so quickly is because before he left, they were best friends.

upon hearing how distraught she was, etc etc, he can't keep it from her.

also altered convo's a bit. trying to stream line my first two chaps before sending out my third


	3. ACT III: Match Two and Discovery

Don't own pokemon

i reread it, wife reread it, if i missed anything let me know

* * *

ACT III: Match Two and Discovery

"…Ash?"

He nods, grinning. She wastes no time enveloping him in a firm embrace, placing her head on his chest. He returns the hug, placing his chin lightly on her head.

She starts to tear up, "I've missed you so much Ash.." She says, sniffling. "I tried looking for you.. I knew you didn't do it.. you couldn't have… everywhere I went no one had seen you.. I was so worried! But I knew you were okay.. the others though, they gave up. I couldn't, wouldn't." She takes a deep breath, "I just… I missed you so much, Ash." She says, rubbing her face against his chest.

He smiles, "I've missed you too May.." He replies, finding her rambling endearing.

Fact of the matter was, May had been his best friend besides Pikachu. Sure, he might not have traveled with her the most, or spent the most time with her, but they just seemed to click the most out of all of his traveling partners. Even when they weren't traveling together, they would always call each other or get on a PC at a Pokecenter and video conference. There was just something between them that Ash just couldn't quite pinpoint.

He sighs, "I'm sorry I didn't try to contact you.. it's just, by the time I had actually gotten to a point where I wasn't angry with the world or completely distraught, years had passed… I thought for sure you would hate me for not trying to talk to you. It may have been selfish but it was just easier for me to carry on in isolation. I don't know.. I just hope you can forgive me." He asks, genuinely concerned.

She looks up at him smiling, "Ash.. I could never hate you. You were my best friend.. Are, my best friend. Nothing could change that. Not time nor distance."

He grins back at her, before lightly kissing her forehead.

"Good" He says, as she blushes.

His stomach growls, "Ahh.. now, about that chow…" He says, motioning for them to continue walking.

She grins, "Typical Ash.. always thinking with your stomach."

He shrugs, "Hey.. a man's gotta eat."

She laughs, shaking her head. "Alright, let's go." She says, tugging on his shirt as she starts moving again.

A few minutes later and they stand in the middle of the large food court.

"Wow…." Ash says, gazing up at all of the different kinds of restaurants.

"Uhh… I'll just get whatever you're having." He says, completely unsure of what to get.

He hadn't eaten at an actual establishment in five years; he didn't even know where to start.

She grins, "Alright!" she says, leading them to a nearby line.

Ten minutes later the trio is chowing down on large bowls of steamy, delicious noodles.

"So Red," She says in between bites, "What have you been doing the past five years? Where have you been?"

He looks up from his rapidly disappearing noodles, "Well.. training. I learned how to use my aura to its fullest potential and trained my Pokémon. We are at our peak, in both body and mind." He replies, taking another bite.

"Well.. It's certainly paid off." She says, not quite realizing what she said.

Ash raises an eyebrow, grinning. "And what's that supposed to mean, May?"

She blushes, realizing what she might have accidentally implied.

"I.. I meant your Pokémon! I mean, just looking at how Pikachu performed, he's definitely become a lot more powerful."

Ash just chuckles, "I know, I know. You're just too fun to mess with May."

She frowns, "And you're still a jerk!"

They both start laughing, "God.." He starts, "I've really missed this."

She grins, "Me too Ash."

A few more minutes pass, "So, you know about me, what have you been up to May?"

She shrugs, "Not a lot really. The first two years after you left were spent looking for you. Cynthia would randomly pop in and help me look, not that it helped much. Still, it was nice having someone to talk to besides my Pokémon." She says, giggling.

Ash raises an eyebrow, "You two get close?"

She nods, "Yep.. we hang out whenever we can. She's pretty busy after all, being the Sinnoh champion."

He nods, "Yeah I'm sure." Ash gazes down at his watch, "We had better hurry, my next match is in an hour."

They finish off their food, disposing of their trash.

As they walk Ash can't help but ask, "So, is Cynthia here?"

May nods, "Yeah she is, I'll send her a text and have her sit with me for your match, I don't exactly want to be around Misty and the others right now."

Ash grins, "Cool.. just don't, you know, tell her who I am. I don't think I'm ready for everyone else to know just yet."

"Of course," May says, "My lips are sealed." She imitates zipping her mouth, smiling at him.

He smirks back at her, "Good."

About thirty minutes later Ash sits in the locker room of the blue side.

'Well.. since Cynthia is going to be watching, guess I oughta show her how far Gabite has come along.' He says, looking down at Pikachu.

'I'm sure Garchomp's itching for a battle anyway,' Pikachu replies, 'He's always so restless.'

Ash chuckles, 'That much is for sure. He kind of reminds me of Charizard, but he actually listens to what I tell him.'

They both laugh, thinking back on all the times Charizard just refused to do anything he said.

They sit in a comfortable silence for a while before the green light above the door flicks on, indicating for Ash to enter the arena.

He gets up and slowly makes his way through the door.

The first thing he notices as he enters the arena is the sheer amount of people in the stands. His first match had maybe half this amount of people. He figured this turn out was because people had heard what he'd done during his first battle.

"….Ladies and gentleman, welcome to another match in the Tournament of Arceus!"

The audience all yells out, cheering.

"This match will be sure to excite! On the red side we have Lucas Max, from Viridian City!" A large portion of the crowd began to cheer loudly, likely the Kanto natives.

"And on the blue side, we have a trainer that caused quite a stir with his earlier match, a young man with no home of record, no league entries or badges, yet battles with the ferocity of one of the Champions, Red Tribal!" The crowd goes ballistic, causing Ash to chuckle lightly to himself.

"This match will be a three on three! No substitutions! The battle will continue until one trainer's Pokémon have all been defeated!"

"…Red!...Red!" Ash faintly hears off in the distance.

He turns to look in the direction of the voice, spotting May.

What he sees next completely sours his mood. Next to May sits Cynthia, and next to her, the Kanto champion Lance.

Now, this normally wouldn't have bothered him. He figured the Champions were a tight knit group, probably all good friends.

But no, his arm was currently wrapped around her waist and her head was on his shoulder.

Ash's grin rapidly fades from his face, replaced instantly by a stern, cold gaze.

He turns back to the opposing trainer.

"Send out your Pokémon!" The announcer yells.

The trainer pulls out his three Pokeballs, sending forth his choices.

Ash looks unfazed as the three fully evolved Kanto starters appear on the field.

He reaches down to his belt, pulling off and expanding Garchomp's Pokeball.

He hears gasps as the abnormally large dragon forms on the field.

'Annihilate them the minute he says go. I don't want to be here any longer than necessary.' Ash projects to Garchomp, who lets out a deafening roar in response.

"….Uhh, Red, you still have two more Pokémon to release."

Ash never breaks his gaze from the opposing trainer, who is now shifting uncomfortably.

"I don't need two more Pokémon." He replies, coldly.

The announcer shrugs, "Alright then. Begin!"

No one other than Ash is prepared for what happens next.

Before the trainer even has a chance to give out orders to his Pokémon, an orange beam of highly focused energy emerges from the dragon's large mouth, sweeping through all three of the trainers Pokémon.

A large explosion is heard as dust is kicked up from the desert landscape of the Arena.

Nothing is heard but the silent murmurs of the crowd, likely trying to figure out what happened.

After about half a minute the dust settles, revealing all three of Jared's Pokémon incapacitated, spread across the battle space of the arena.

It takes a few moments for the announcer to break out of his state of shock.

"….Right! Uhh… Lucas' Pokémon are unable to battle, Red Tribal is the winner!" He yells.

'Good job Garchomp.' He says, recalling him into his Pokeball.

He wastes no time turning around and disappearing into the locker room.

"Fuck!" He yells, his fist connecting with the face of an innocent locker, rendering it inoperable.

Ash turns around, reaching out and using his aura to throw another locker across the room; the large metal object colliding with a concrete wall on the other side of the room, breaking into numerous pieces.

He places a hand on the wall, breathing heavily and lowering his head, eyes closed.

He takes multiple deep breathes in an attempt to calm himself.

Pikachu just sits down beside him, waiting for the episode to pass.

It wasn't the first time this had happened, that Ash had lost his temper like this. It wasn't very often, but it was usually pretty bad.

Ash never hurt anyone though, usually choosing random objects around him to take his anger out on.

Ash takes a few more deep breathes before his aura begins to dissipate, vanishing from sight again.

He sighs, 'Sorry about that. We won, so I guess that means we're done for today. Let's go find out when our next match is.' He says, exiting the locker room with Pikachu following closely behind him.

He exits through the door, immediately spotting a battle kiosk across the hall, moving towards it.

Ash pulls out his Pokedex, plugging it into the USB interface of the machine.

A window pops open with his name and picture. He reaches up and swipes it over, showing his battle info.

**Red Tribal**

**Skill Ranking: Trainer**

**Match history: 1 and 0**

**Pokémon win to loss ratio: 3 and 0**

**Next match: Preliminary Match, Lucas Max, 1600 hours, 23May**

Ash frowns, 'Guess it takes a little while to update.' He thinks, waiting a few seconds before hitting the refresh button.

**Red Tribal**

**Skill Ranking: Elite**

**Match history: 2 and 0**

**Pokémon win to loss ratio: 6 and 0**

**Next match: Semi-Final Match, Trainer to be determined, 1300 hours, 30May**

Ash's eyes widen as he gazes upon the screen.

'How is that possible? I've battled twice, yet I'm already slated for the semi-finals?' He thinks, shaking his head in disbelief.

Unfortunately, he doesn't get much time to think about it, as a group of three nears him.

"Wow Red, that was… incredible!" He hears, recognizing May's voice right away. He couldn't help but notice how pleasant her voice was.

'Weird. Why am I thinking like this?' He asks himself, shaking his head.

He unplugs his Pokedex, pocketing it before turning to face the group.

"Your Garchomp appears to be at the apex of perfection for its kind. I've never seen one so large before, nor so powerful." Cynthia says, causing Ash to inwardly cringe. This was the exact opposite of what he needed right now.

'Fuck..' He thinks, 'Relax Ash. Relax.' He repeats to himself, trying to keep himself calm.

His annoyance quickly grows as he notices Lance's arm snaked around Cynthia's waist.

"Eh, that wasn't exactly the greatest match I've ever seen. I mean, it lasted the entirety of ten seconds. Everybody knows it's just as much about the battle as it is the show." Lance says, his voice dripping with self-righteousness.

Ash can feel his self-control starting to slip, Pikachu gazing up at him in a concerned expression.

'Ash..' Pikachu starts, warningly.

'Who the fuck does this guy think he is?' He asks, more to himself than Pikachu.

May shakes her head and focuses in on Lance's smug expression, "This is a tournament for battling not mere entertainment value. Who cares about how cool a battle looks? The important thing is who is still standing after it's over." She says, standing up for Ash.

Lance just shakes his head, removing his arm from Cynthia.

"Since when did you become an expert on battling and contests? If I recall you still haven't won a grand conference ribbon or made it into the finals of a battle tournament. How about you just sit over there quietly and let the grown-ups talk." Lance says, disdain evident in his voice.

Ash's frown grows, his fist balling up, angry that someone had talked to his May like that.

He finds himself surprised that he referred to her that way, but quickly shakes it off.

"You better watch how you talk to her, Lance." Ash says menacingly, his body straightening and his chest expanding, instinctively.

Lance looks like he's about to say something before he stops himself, weighing his options.

After sizing Ash up he decides it's in his best interest to leave.

"Whatever, I don't have time for this." He says, rolling his eyes, "I have stuff to go do, you know, being a champion and all that. You know where to find me when you're done playing with your little friends Cynthia." He adds sardonically, turning and walking away.

Cynthia sighs, shaking her head disapprovingly.

May frowns, her face beat red in anger.

Ash turns to gaze at Cynthia, "Got yourself a winner there, eh?" He asks, sarcastically.

Cynthia frowns, "Lance isn't a bad guy." She says, more so to herself than anyone else.

Ash snorts, "You know, I never would have thought that the champion of Sinnoh would allow herself to become a trophy girl. Just didn't seem like something you'd do." Ash says, completely uncaring of the consequences his words might reap.

She sighs, shaking her head. "It.. It's not like that. You don't even know him, or me for that matter.."

Ash shrugs, "I don't need to know him. It's evident by the way he talks to you and your friends that he doesn't really care about you. Hell, anyone can see that."

He sighs, trying to calm himself down some.

Ash turns to face May, "I need to get out of here." He says, walking up next to her.

May quickly nods, "Yeah.. I've had about enough of this place for today." She replies, before turning to face Cynthia.

"I guess you probably have 'Work' to do, as Lance calls it, give me a call or something if you want to hang out tomorrow." May says, gazing over at Cynthia.

Cynthia nods, "Right.. Okay, I will." She looks up at Ash, "It was nice meeting you.. regardless of what happened.. I hope you don't let him influence your opinion of me.." She says, hopefully.

Ash shakes his head lightly, "Eh.. yeah.. nice meeting you too."

She nods, waving to May before turning and heading down the corridor.

As Cynthia disappears Ash turns to face May.

"Well," he starts, "That was great." He says, sarcastically.

May sighs, "Trust me, if I knew she was going to bring that.. A-hole I wouldn't have asked her to come in the first place.. I know you guys had a thing… I'm sorry if I made you mad." She replies, hoping Ash isn't angry with her.

He frowns, "What are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong. It just happens that the girl I was sort of dating before I left happens to be involved with a prick. It's not like you had anything to do with it." He responds, a small smile starting to form on his face.

She shrugs, "Well, when you put it like that, I feel pretty silly for thinking you'd be mad."

He laughs, "Well, you are silly. It's okay though, because it's cute." He replies, grinning at her.

She laughs too, slightly blushing, "You know, you looked like you were about to seriously mess him up. You look pretty crazy when you're angry, like an Ekans poised to strike or something."

He smirks, "Just admit it May, I look like a badass." He says, posing with his arms crossed.

She busts out laughing again, "I mean.. I don't know if I'd go thaaat far… you look more like a child predator if anything with that scraggly beard of yours." She replies, smirking at him.

Ash frowns in mock-sadness, "That hurts May. It really does." He says, placing his right hand on his heart.

She giggles, "Aww, did I hurt big bad Red's feelings?" She asks playfully. "I thought you were supposed to be a badass?"

He grins. "I can be badass and have feelings too, I'm just skilled like that."

May shakes her head, "You're too funny, Red."

He smiles, "I'm glad that you think so, that makes at least one person." He replies, chuckling lightly.

They both sigh contently, "Well.. I guess I need to go get a hotel room now that I'm done here for the day."

May nods, "Yeah, I've had about enough of this place for today. I've got a room in a hotel not far from here; we can go together if you want?"

Ash grins, "definitely, let's go." He says, the trio beginning the walk to the exit.

After about twenty minutes of navigating the large coliseum and the almost equally as confusing streets of Indigo they arrive at the 'Sleepy Snorlax Inn'.

Ash snorts at the name, "Not very original, are they?" He asks, mentioning to the sign.

May laughs, "It's a corporate hotel, what do you expect?" She asks, incredulously.

He nods, "I suppose you have a point there." He replies, moving to open the door for May.

She walks through and he follows her in, making his way to the receptionist desk.

"I'd like to get a room please." Ash states, looking at the man behind the counter.

The receptionist sighs, "I hate to say it sir, but we just gave out our last room about ten minutes ago. We're all booked up."

Ash frowns, backing away from the counter.

"Well.. Fuck." He says, gazing over at May.

"What am I supposed to do now?" He asks, groaning. He really didn't want to spend any more time camped out in the woods.

May bites her lip, looking as though she's hesitant to ask him something.

"Well.. I mean… I have an extra bed in my room? Misty and Gary got a room together, Brock and Max are staying in another, and then Dawn and Paul are sharing one. I ended up with my own.. so, if you don't think it'd be too weird or anything you could stay with me?" She asks, looking from the floor back up to him.

He grins, 'How did I never notice how adorable May could be?' He asks himself, starting to wonder if he really made the right choice all those years ago.

"Of course I wouldn't mind staying with you May , as long as you are absolutely positive you're okay with it." He replies.

She beams at him, clearly excited. "I wouldn't mind at all! C'mon, I'll show you the room." She says, grasping him by the hand and dragging him along.

After a short ride up an elevator and a few turns through the hallway they stand at the entrance of her room.

She pulls out a keycard, swiping it and unlocking the door. She walks in, motioning for him to follow.

The room was pretty standard, a bathroom close to the entrance, two queen sized beds, a little fridge, microwave, and a couch that sat in front of a large flat screen TV.

Ash grins, "It's nice. I can't really thank you enough for letting me stay, I'd have hated to spend another day camped out in the woods. I haven't slept on an actual bed in years, and hot water? You better keep an eye out for me because I probably won't come out." He says, grinning.

She smiles at him, "I'm glad you like it Ash, make yourself at home. This will be your bed," She says, pointing to the one nearest to the television.

"There's toothpaste and soap in the bathroom, spare towels. You know, the usual hotel stuff."

Ash nods, walking over and dropping his ruck on his bed.

"If it's alright with you, I'm going to go ahead and take a shower, clean up a bit." He says, pulling fresh clothes and his hygiene kit from his ruck.

She nods, "Sounds good. I'll just watch some TV or something." She declares, moving over and plopping down on the couch.

He slips off his shoes and socks, and takes his shirt off before turning to head to the bathroom.

May blushes as she catches a glimpse of his bare chest, and is slightly shocked as she notices his side while he turns.

The leathery scars from the fire snake their way from his lower left side to his back, covering the vast majority of it.

'Wow..' she thinks, 'I.. I never realized how badly he was hurt…' She forces herself to stop watching him and returns her gaze to the television, turning it on.

After about twenty minutes Ash emerges from the bathroom,

"Well, how do I look?" He asks, gazing across the room at May.

She gasps, but quickly recovers, grinning. "You look.. good." She replies, "You definitely needed the hair cut. And that beard.. ugh, I'm so glad it's gone." She says, laughing.

Ash frowns in mock hurt, "Hey… I was proud of my beard." He says, rubbing his chin.

May giggles, "You realize that your ruse isn't going to last much longer now right? I mean, your physique may have changed, but not your face, you still look like Ash."

He grins, "Just a better looking version, right?" He asks brightly.

She blushes, "Ehh.. maybe." She declares, smirking.

He walks over, putting his hygiene kit back in his ruck before sitting down next to her on the couch.

She becomes momentarily lost in thought, blankly gazing at the television.

Ash notices, looking over at her. "Something on your mind, May?" He asks, concerned.

"Yeah… I was just thinking about.. well, you. This all seems so crazy, like it's not real." She starts, "It.. just kind of feels like you might just disappear. Or that I'll wake up to find that you were just a dream." She says, dejectedly.

He frowns, "I'm here May, and I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I honestly don't think I could handle the isolation again.. I almost lost it… multiple times. If it wasn't for Pikachu and the rest of my Pokémon well, I.. I don't know if I'd still be here." He says, the pain of what he'd gone through evident in his voice.

"I'm glad you had them then. I.. I can't express how happy I am that you're actually here.. it's kind of embarrassing, but I've dreamt of this day for the longest time." She says quietly, blushing.

'God..' He thinks, 'I guess I never realized how much my being gone would affect everyone.. Affect May.. '

"Why be embarrassed? You have no reason. We.. we were close, May. I know I thought of this day for the longest time." He chuckles, "I might have thought it would have gone a little differently, but I'm definitely not complaining."

Her smile returns, "Yeah.. I guess things did get a little crazy. First with Misty.. then that asshole Lance." She says, shaking her head.

Ash gazes at her, laughing.

She frowns, "What's so funny?" She asks, confused.

"It's cute when you curse, you know that?" He reaches up, wiping a tear from his eye, "It's not usually like you to say things like that, you're always so happy."

She shrugs, "He makes me so angry! I can't help it! I just don't understand how she could be with someone like him, it's just totally not her."

Ash sighs, "Yeah well.. things change with time, as do people; whether it's for the better or worse." He ends, placing his left arm up along the top of the couch, shifting to face her more comfortably.

She shakes her head, "You have changed, you know."

He frowns, "Hopefully not in a bad way?" He asks, concerned.

"No, not in a bad way, silly." She says, quickly reassuring him.

He nods, his worry dispersing as quickly as it had come.

She looks up at the ceiling, thinking, before returning her gaze to him.

"Well.. you seem a lot more… mature. And forward. Like, open.. I know the old Ash wouldn't say or do half the things you have, you just seem like you have a lot more.. confidence."

He raises an eyebrow at her, "Well.. I guess I just don't really.. care anymore." He says, shrugging.

She frowns, and he instantly catches on to what she's thinking.

"No.. no, I don't mean it like that. I mean that I'm not afraid to do or say what I want." He says, taking a breath.

"The way I see it, I've lost out on five years of my life. Not to say that I didn't do it to myself, I could have come back three years ago, but I was intent on finishing my training. I just don't feel like holding anything back. If I want to say something, I'll say it. What's the worst that could really happen? It's not like any situation I put myself in will be worse than what I've already dealt with." He takes another breath,

"For example, let's just say I felt the urge to.. I don't know… Kiss you. So I did it, if you didn't like it, you'd probably be angry with me, smack me, maybe ignore me for a while, but we'll be fine. I'll not do it again because I know you won't like it, or if you did like it, then I've done myself a favor. Either way every thing's fine, or better."

He shrugs, "I guess it's just like I said, why should I live in fear of the consequences of my actions? I could miss out on a lot of opportunities, and the way I see it, I've already missed out on a lot. I don't want to continue down that path."

He sighs, shaking his head, "That was probably a bad example, but you get what I'm trying to say." He declares, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

She turns slightly red again, beaming at him.

"That was.. deep, Ash. Just another example of how you've changed, for the better." She says, rotating herself to better face him.

He shrugs, "I guess it's about time I matured a little." He says, chuckling.

She grins at him, and he swears he catches a sparkle of mischief in her eyes.

"So… out of all the possible examples to use.. you chose kissing me?" She asks, skeptically.

He just shrugs, "I guess so, yeah. I don't know, it was the first thing that popped into my head alright!" He exclaims, feeling slightly embarrassed.

She thinks for a minute, "So.. Say you did have this urge to kiss me, would it just be a kiss, a simple act on an urge you had, or would it be something more?" She asks, testing him.

He shrugs, "In all honesty, it would probably end up something more, I'm sure. But I couldn't really say yes or no as of right now, I mean.. I've been gone a long time and just got back. I'm honestly not sure of anything right now." He replies.

"Hmm…" She says, "You know.. I probably wouldn't be too upset with you, if you did." She declares, gazing at him alluringly.

Ash finds himself in a kind of shock. He never remembered May to be so forward.. but then again, he had changed a lot too, if he could be forward than why couldn't she?

He thinks for a minute before mentally shrugging, reaching over and lightly placing his right hand on the side of her face.

The two just gaze into each other's eye's for a minute, before he closes the gap, gently placing his lips on hers.

He couldn't lie to himself and say that this wasn't the best feeling he had ever experienced.

Sure, he had kissed Cynthia once, who, before he left, was the sole object of his affection. The truth was though; it had been a quick, chaste kiss. He certainly didn't know how to kiss a girl, everything he knew he learned from watching television, or people out in public. Their kiss was actually quiet harsh, their lips chapped from a long day of training out in the sun.

In all reality, it was more of a peck than anything else, but, it was his first, and so he of course found it to be amazing.

Now with May on the other hand, this was a different story all together.

Her lips were soft and moist, sending little tremors of something pleasing he wasn't accustomed to throughout his entire body, goose bumps forming on his neck as he lightly shivers.

He quickly finds himself unable to pull away, the feeling too good to just let pass by so quickly.

He reaches up and places his other hand on her face, reinitiating the kiss as he does so.

She was not complaining in the least bit, mirroring his actions. She can feel herself growing weak-kneed, her legs starting to lightly shake in response to the new feelings currently passing through her.

He kisses her again, and again, and again, before forcing himself to pull away, the air in his lungs completely gone.

They both sit there in silence, breathing heavily.

"May… I.." He starts, but finds he is having trouble forming a coherent sentence.

She slowly nods, "Ash.. I.. that was…"

"Amazing." They both say, simultaneously, grinning at each other.

"You know May.. I think you might have unleashed a monster. I think I'll be claiming those lips of yours a lot from now on." He says, reaching up and rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

She blushes, "I don't think I'll mind.."

Ash smiles, "Good.. I have to ask May, have you.. well, kissed another guy before?" He asks, curiously.

She shakes her head, "No.. I.. well, I've always L… Err, liked you, Ash. I guess I'm just not afraid to admit it anymore, especially after what just happened." She adds, grinning. "I just never really found anyone else who could replace you.. or didn't want to, for that matter. I guess I still clung to the hope that you'd return, and that I might finally have a chance to convince you to look at me in a different light." She says, taking a deep breath.

Ash finds himself feeling extremely happy, lucky.

"Why do you ask?" She questions, confused.

"Well.." He starts, "You just seemed really good at it.. like, maybe you had done it before." He replies, smiling lightly at her.

May beams at him, "Well, I'm glad that you liked it.. I know I did." She says.

She looks back up at him expectantly, "So how about you Ash?"

He shakes his head, "I mean.. I kissed Cynthia once, right before everything went downhill. At the time I thought it was the greatest thing to ever happen to me.. but now, well, you basically proved that thought to be wrong."

She sighs, her face betraying her attempt at not looking worried. Even upon hearing what he said about her, May's thoughts just can't help but straying.

"You still like her, don't you? I mean, why else would you have gotten so angry when you saw her with Lance?"

Ash ponders for a minute, "I did like her, yeah. Hell, before I left I thought I loved her. But, upon seeing how she is now, what she's let herself become.. I just don't know anymore."

He moves in towards her, capturing her lips again.

She sighs in contentment as he pulls away, "But you on the other hand, well, now that's just another story all together." He says, grinning at her.

May grins back, "So, where exactly does this put us?" She asks, uncertain.

Ash just shrugs, "Look at it however you want. I know that I want to be with you. While I know that I've just returned, and this might seem rushed, I find myself absolutely smitten by you. I realize we need some time to get to know each other again, but that doesn't mean I won't be stealing kisses and the like whenever I can." He replies, grinning at her.

She nods, "That sounds perfect." She says, happily.

Ash's stomach grumbles, and he chuckles, rubbing the back of his head. "Ehh.. guess I'm hungry again." He says, a goofy smile on his face.

She laughs, "Leave it to Ash to ruin a romantic moment with his stomach." She says, sighing.

"How does pizza sound?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

He smiles at her, "God.. That sounds amazing! I haven't had pizza in the longest time."

She nods, pulling out her phone, dialing the number for the local pizzeria.

After eating the two spend the rest of the night watching movies on the television, cracking jokes and just generally enjoying each other's company. May is the first to fall asleep; her head nestled in his lap.

Ash follows suit shortly after, leaning his head against the back of the couch.

Pikachu watches silently from the bed, smiling to himself. Glad that his long-time friend might have finally found happiness again.

* * *

things look like they are going fast, sure. But it won't be perfect, so don't give up on it yet


	4. ACT IV: The Week, Part 1

I do not own Pokemon

This and the next chapter will act as a sort of filler until his next battle, covering the span of the week through snippits of each day.

* * *

ACT IV: The Week

**_Day 1_**

_**12:00 PM**_

"Ugh…" Ash says, lugging a handful of bags through the mall. "Are we done yet May? We've been here over an hour already!" He exclaims.

She turns and frowns at him, "You know, I'm doing you a favor! Have you seen your clothes lately?"

He looks down at himself then back up at her, "Yeah? So? What's wrong with them?" He asks, confused.

She sighs, "They are faded and full of holes! They barely fit! If you would have kept the beard you'd look like a homeless person!" She exclaims, motioning to his horrid clothing.

He laughs, "They aren't that bad…." He thinks for a minute, "Are they?" Doubt setting in.

She shakes her head, "Yes, they are that bad."

He frowns, "I still don't understand why I can't just get some plain shirts and gym shorts and call it a day. I mean, if what you say is true than anything is better than what I've got on now." He says, trying his best to convince her to do things his way.

She furiously shakes her head, "Considering I'm the one buying the clothes, we're going to do things how I see fit. I won't have you walking around like a thirteen year old juvenile kid!" She says, pointing her finger at him.

He sighs exasperatedly, following her into another store.

"UUUGgghh…" He says, as she drags him into the guy's section.

She sighs, "Okay, how about this. If you stop complaining and just do what I say, I'll give you a biiig kiss." She asks, grinning at him.

Ash shrugs and chuckles, "I don't really see how this is supposed to entice me; I could just kiss you anytime I want."

She crosses her arms angrily and he knows he's in trouble,

"Fine! Since you want to be a little baby, if you keep complaining you won't be getting anything from me for the next week! _Nothing_!" She says, putting emphasis on the word.

Ash thinks for a minute before bowing his head like a little kid who was just scolded, "….Fine." He says, sadly.

She just grins, "Good boy. Now here, try these on." She says, throwing a pair of pants over his shoulder.

One and a half hours later…..

Ash gazes at himself in the mirror, one of his new outfits on.

'Wow.' He thinks, 'I guess I'm pretty happy she took me. I've forgotten what it's like to dress up a little. Feels good.'

He is wearing a dark gray polo with tan cargo shorts, his feet covered by a pair of black Vans.

"You like it, don't you?" She asks, walking up behind him, gazing at his reflection within the mirror.

He turns around to face her, "Yeah.. I guess they're growing on me." He says, smiling at her.

She moves a step closer, placing her arms around his neck.

"I guess since you were moderately not annoying, you've earned your gift." She says, beaming back at him.

He places a hand on either side of her waist, "I'd like that a lot." He says, the two meet in the middle, lips locking passionately.

After about half a minute they pull apart, both of their faces bright and full of joy.

"This'll never get old..." He says, moving in to capture her lips again.

He pulls away, "Thank you May. I really appreciate you taking me."

She grins, "Anytime, Ash."

_**6:00 PM**_

"Why would we go hang out with them? I thought you and Misty weren't talking." Ash asks, confused.

May sighs, "We fight all the time Ash, it's just… how our friendship works, I guess." She explains, pulling a set of flats out of her suitcase.

Ash shrugs, "If you say so.. I still don't think it's a good idea though." He retorts.

She shakes her head, "I know you don't, but it'll be fine. Trust me!" She exclaims.

He sighs, "Alright. I guess I'll trust your judgment. Doesn't mean I have to like it though…" He says, smirking at her.

She laughs, "Well then hurry up and get dressed! We're supposed to meet them there in less than an hour!" She exclaims happily, pushing him lightly.

He frowns, "What do you mean get ready? I'm already dressed!" He says, motioning to his outfit.

She looks him over, "Oh yeah.. oops." She says, grinning.

"Well, I'm going to go finish getting ready then." She says, moving towards the bathroom.

"All right, guess I'll just watch TV or something." He replies, moving toward the couch.

About fifteen minutes of mindless channel flipping later, Ash hears the door to the bathroom open back up.

His eyes widen in shock, gazing upon her.

"Wow May.. you look… amazing." He says, standing.

She twirls around in her dress, "So you like it? I bought it today; I was hoping you'd think it's cute." She explains.

Ash shakes his head, "No, seriously, you look gorgeous May."

She blushes, "Thank you."

She was wearing a simple black strapless dress, while alluring it was still classy, showing just the right amount of thigh and cleavage. Ash couldn't help but notice how perfect it fit her slim frame, hugging her curves in all the right places.

'God.' He thinks, 'I seriously never imagined May like this.. she's.. beautiful.'

He walks over to her, wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss on her forehead, causing her to blush.

"You look pretty good yourself, handsome." She replies, grinning at him.

He shrugs, "Well yeah, I mean, have you seen my guns lately? Pretty legit." He says, flexing.

She laughs, "I don't know if I'd call them guns.. more like noodles." She says, poking one of his arms.

He frowns and proceeds to pick her up bridal style and spin her around, "Tch. If I had noodle arms do you think I could do this?" He asks, spinning her faster.

She's just giggling uncontrollably, "Okay! Okay! Put me down!" She yells, still laughing.

"Nope!" He says, "Not till you tell me I have big guns!"

"Haha, Fine! You have big guns!" She yells, Ash finally setting her down.

He grins at her, "One for Ash, zero for May." He says, looking like he just won the lottery.

She fake pouts, "Yeah yeah… now let's go! We're probably already late thanks to your silly and immature antics!" She says, turning and moving towards the door.

He looks her up and down as she walks away, smiling to himself before moving to follow.

'Yep. I'm definitely lucky.' He thinks to himself, quickening his pace to catch up with her.

Pikachu just shakes his head at the two, before laying his head back down, sleep reclaiming him.

_**11:00 PM**_

"Well, that wasn't so bad." Ash says, holding the door open as May steps through.

She nods, "I had a lot of fun." She retorts, slipping off her black bow-tie flats.

Ash yawns, slipping his shoes off and placing them beside the door.

May collects her night clothes from her suitcase and heads to the bathroom, "I'm going to change really quick; be right out." She explains, gazing over at him.

He nods, "Alright May." He replies, the door to the bathroom closing shortly after.

As he waits for her to come back out he decides to get comfortable as well, removing his shirt and putting on some loose fitting gym shorts to sleep in.

He chuckles to himself as he thinks about how hard it was to convince her to let him get them.

Pikachu sits silently asleep in the middle of his bed, so he opts to jump into hers instead.

After a few moments the door opens and reveals May, dressed in a tank top and little pajama shorts.

Ash can't help but watch her as she moves to her laundry bag, throwing her old clothes in it before moving to the bed, lying down next to him.

She joins him under the covers, moving close to him before turning away. Ash promptly snuggles against her, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

She sighs contently, "Goodnight Ash." She says, drowsily.

He places a kiss on her exposed shoulder, causing her to lightly shiver. "Goodnight, May."

* * *

_**Day Two**_

_**11:00 AM**_

Ash was out in the woods training with his Pokémon, as May had plans to go watch her brother's next preliminary match.

She seemed a little upset that he wouldn't go with her, but understood his need to get away from everything for a little while, still trying to adjust.

He had all of his Pokémon battling each other. He would mentor them while they fought and when he felt it was time, he would order them to switch battle partners, sometimes joining in on a fight himself.

About forty minutes into training Ash felt a familiar presence approaching through the woods.

He orders his Pokémon to continue training, as they had heard the figure approaching as well.

"Hello, Cynthia." He says, catching her slightly off guard as he quickly turns to face her.

She blushes, "Hello Red. I.. didn't expect to see anyone out here." She says, mentioning to the clearing he was training in.

He shrugs, "I needed a place to train, this spot seemed perfect. Took me a while to find, though." He explains, motioning to his Pokémon behind him.

She nods, "I stumbled upon this spot by accident the last time I was here, it is so peaceful and quiet, just far enough from the city that the random traveler shouldn't stumble upon it." She says, before realizing the irony of her statement.

"But then again, maybe it's not, seeing as how we both seem to have found ourselves here." She says, lightly smiling at him.

He grins, "Yeah, I thought so too; didn't think anyone else would really come out this far."

She looks around, gazing at his Pokémon who were currently locked in separate fights.

"You have quite the formidable looking team, Red." She says, complimenting his Pokémon.

He nods, "We've put in a lot of hard work over the years, I couldn't be more proud." He retorts, turning to face them.

Cynthia walks up to his side, watching as Pikachu and Garchomp fight.

She shakes her head, "Your Pikachu has to be the strongest of its kind, to be able to go toe to toe with a full grown Garchomp." She says, disbelievingly as she watches the small electric-mouse send a bolt of lightning into the air, just barely missing the fast moving dragon.

Ash nods, "He's been with me the longest; we've gone through a lot together. I think sometimes he might push himself a little too hard to try and impress me, but the truth is I already think he's the best. There isn't a single Pikachu around like him, or Pokémon, for that matter."

Cynthia nods and turns to face Ash, smiling warmly, "You have a very strong bond with all of your Pokémon, don't you?"

Ash nods, "They are all my friends. We've trained and lived together for a long time now. Besides, I've never really looked at my Pokémon as just.. well, Pokémon. I've always seen them as my equals, my friends. I think that might be why they've gotten as strong as they all have. I wouldn't ask them to do anything I myself wouldn't do. I train side by side with them. At first, I was probably more of a hindrance than anything, but as I mastered my Aura I became a lot more helpful. I can fight any one of them and go blow for blow. It's incredibly useful as a trainer." He explains, turning to look at her.

Her eyes open wide in shock, "You can use Aura? I didn't.. didn't think there was anyone around anymore that could.. I read about it in my studies but.. never thought I'd meet someone that was capable." She says in awe, completely surprised.

He nods, reaching out and launching an Aura blast at a nearby tree, breaking it in half.

She gasps. "Wow!" She exclaims, "That was amazing!"

Ash turns to her and chuckles, "That's only part of what I'm capable of. I'd show you more, but I've already worn myself out quite a bit training. Maybe I could show you some other time." He says, shrugging.

She beams, "If you wouldn't mind, I think I'd love that."

Ash nods, "Of course.. and hey, I'm sorry about what I said the other day. I didn't mean to attack you like that over what your boyfriend said. I kind of have anger issues sometimes, and let it get the best of me." He explains, rubbing the back of his head.

She smiles at him, "Don't worry about it. I completely understand."

He lets out a sigh of relief, "Thanks Cynthia.. well, I think we are about done for the day. I'll pack up and let you get your training in." He says, moving over to his pack.

"Everyone! You did well! Return!" He yells out, picking up all of his Pokeballs with his Aura and pulling them back in, all with the exception of Pikachu of course.

Ash throws the Pokeballs in his ruck and slings it on his back.

"It was nice talking to you Cynthia, I'm sure we'll see each other again soon." He says, waving as he makes his way towards the small almost nonexistent path.

"Okay Red! Bye!" She replies, waving back.

She smiles to herself, 'I can see why May's so smitten with him. He seems like a really great guy.'

Cynthia turns to the field and pulls out her Pokeballs, releasing them onto the field.

Cynthia frowns as she spots something small sitting in the grass where Ash had his bag.

'Hmm..' She thinks, 'Did Red drop something?'

She walks over and picks the small item up, and nearly drops it as she realizes what she's looking at.

'Oh my god..' She thinks, 'Is this? ….Ash?' She looks back towards the path but doesn't see him. She gazes back down to the object in her now shaking hands.

To her utter disbelief, in her palms sits what remains of a small black handkerchief, half of it missing altogether, the fringe where the other portion used to be singed. She swiftly drops down in a sitting position onto the plush leafy ground, her mind spinning at the implications of what this meant.

Blades of grass bend as her head finds its way to the ground of the soft green meadow.

She lays there unmoving, one hand draped across her stomach and the other holding on securely to the now timeworn piece of fabric.

Her mind is in a loop, trapped on the thought '…How?'

An hour later Ash is back at the hotel by himself. After sifting through his large backpack he can't help but think he's missing something.

'Where is it?' He thinks, moving and looking under some old clothes, 'I know I left it in here…'

After a few minutes of searching he sighs, 'Oh well. I'm sure it'll pop up eventually.'

Little did he know the distress it was presently causing a certain blonde haired champion..

_**10:30 PM**_

May comes through the door and finds that Ash has already fallen asleep on the bed.

She grins silently to herself as she watches his chest slowly rise and fall.

After quietly changing she tries her best to climb into bed without disturbing him.

She hears him mumble incoherently as he subconsciously reaches out and pulls her towards him, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, flipping her onto her stomach and pulling her towards his chest.

She silently chuckles to herself before wrapping her arm across his middle, sighing contently as she nestles her head against his chest and drifts off into unconsciousness.

* * *

_**Day Three**_

_**11:45 AM**_

May had received a call earlier in the day from Cynthia asking her to meet up somewhere. They had agreed on lunch at a local café.

May thought that Cynthia sounded… strange. It seemed important, and as much as she tried she just couldn't figure out what could be so important.

She walks through the door of the small restaurant, quickly spotting Cynthia.

She feels uneasy as she takes her seat across the table from Cynthia, noticing the strange almost.. pained look on her face.

"Hello May." She says, curtly.

Now May was thoroughly confused, what had she done to upset her?

"Hello Cynthia…" She says, "Is everything alright?" She asks, gazing over at her.

Cynthia shrugs a little bit.

"I have something important I need to ask you…" She starts, "I know you've been hiding something from me, so just tell me the truth." She says, still gazing blankly at the top of the table.

May frowns, "What do you mean, Cynthia?" She asks, still unsure.

"I know that you know who Red is.." She accuses, finally making eye contact with May.

May's eyes grow wide, "How…?"

Cynthia frowns, "Why should it matter how May? How could you keep something like that from me? We're supposed to be friends May. Friends don't keep secrets like this, especially considering the circumstances."

May doesn't know what to say, at a loss for words.

"And not only did you not tell me, you started a thing with him! With complete disregard for what we have!"

Now it was May's turn to be angry, "You mean what you had. Cynthia, you're dating Lance! And have been, for over a year now. What gives you the right to act like he's yours? It's not like I kept him from you. You chose to move on! Now it's my turn." May retorts, heatedly.

Cynthia sighs, "I know! I just…. I waited for him for so long… and then after I finally decide to date someone else… he shows up again. I feel like I've cheated myself…" Cynthia says, tears forming in her gray- blue eyes.

May sighs, "I would have told you Cynthia.. I swear, it's just.. he made me promise not to tell anyone who he was, you especially. I think.. That regardless of how much he hates Lance, he doesn't want to do anything to get in the way of you two." May suggests, shaking her head.

Cynthia sniffles, "….You two are together now, aren't you?" She asks, dejectedly.

May shakes her head, "Not officially, no…"

She can see hope appear in Cynthia's face, "..Why not?" She asks, unsure.

May fiddles with the salt-shaker on the table, "Because.. well, he just got back. He says he needs time to figure everything out.."

Cynthia lets out a sigh of relief, "Are you going to ask him? To make it official?" She asks,

May feels a conflict forming within her.

If she says yes, she risks her relationship with Cynthia, who had over the years become her best friend.

And if she says no, she has to break things off with Ash.. Who would probably understand her need for distance, if only for a little while. At least until Cynthia calms down, gets over the shock and hopefully over Ash.

She rubs her head, "No… Cynthia, I never meant to hurt you… I guess, well… I guess I'll tell him we need to stop.." 'For now' She thinks, at the end of her statement.

"Oh.. if you think that's best?" Cynthia asks, causing May to inwardly sigh.

'No.. I don't.' She thinks, "I suppose." She says unhappily.

She notices Cynthia's demeanor change, she looks happier, like a weight has been lifted off her chest.

"So.. how has he been?" Cynthia asks, curious as to what he had been up to over the years.

May proceeds to tell Cynthia everything she had learned about him and then the two eat. The entire time May feels as though she's about to make a huge mistake but can't stand the thought of losing her best friend, regardless of how flawed she finds her point of view.

_**9:00 PM**_

When Ash returns to the hotel from a long day of training he can't help but feel that something's off.

He immediately spots May sitting on the couch, the television off. He can feel a mix of negative emotions flowing from her.

"May… are you okay?" He asks, moving further into the hotel room.

She looks up at him sadly, "Ash.. Cynthia found out who you are.."

Ash frowns, thinking for a minute before shrugging. "So? Why does that have you so upset?" He doesn't understand why this would have such an effect on her.

She stands, "We can't keep doing all this." She says, "We can't be together."

Ash is in shock, completely at a loss. They had been perfectly fine earlier in the day, what had changed?

"I.. Why? May, this doesn't make sense." He exclaims.

She shakes her head, "I.. I don't know. I just know that we need to take a break, need to put things off for a while." She says, distraughtly.

Ash frowns.

"This is ridiculous. Cynthia said something to you didn't she? How are you going to let what she says affect what we have going on here?" He asks, irritably.

May sighs, "You wouldn't understand, Ash. I just know that this needs to stop. I can't explain it right now.. just… please don't be angry with me, I need this to happen." She tries to explain, failing miserably in Ash's eyes.

He thinks for a minute, "Fuck that. If you can't even give me a straight answer as to why, why should I do anything you ask? I can't just push everything aside, act like it didn't happen. It's too late for that. I can't just turn my feelings off like you apparently can." He accuses, angrily.

He shakes his head moving to his pack, throwing the majority of his possessions in it.

Tears begin streaming down her face as she watches him pack, "Ash.. you don't have to leave… you can stay here still, it's okay." She pleads, not wanting him to go. Her mind in a brutal struggle with her heart.

He shakes his head, "Negative. Not with what's happened, no. I'm not going to wake up to you every morning and go on like we're just friends, not happening." He says, throwing the ruck onto his back.

"I guess I'll see you whenever. Hopefully by then you will have realized what you actually want." He says, storming out of the door in a heated rush.

May feels an incredible sense of anguish as she watches him go.

She falls back on the couch, laying down and gazing up at the ceiling.

'This… it wasn't supposed to be like this..' She thinks, the tears flowing freely.

She spends the next hour like this, contemplating her actions miserably, before slumber finally takes her.

* * *

uh-oh


End file.
